My name is Bryan, and I am from Incline Village, on the north shore of Lake Tahoe in Nevada’s Washoe County.
Incline was named after the “Great Incline Tramway,” a logging route built in 1878.
Not too far from the neon glow of Reno, most of Incline's fun activities are outdoor activities, such as hikes, biking, skiing and snowboarding, beach hangouts, and house parties.
I’ve lived here my whole life and growing up here has shown me the difference between living and existing.
Incline Village is a town that showed me authentic experiences, where I experienced joy, pain, success and failure and the curiosity of wondering what other great things are out there in the world. Most people in town don't even know me as Bryan. To most I am Toby.
That's the nickname that was given to me in elementary school, and it never left me.
Everyone at school knew me as Toby and till this day, some are shocked when they find out my real name is Bryan.
“Bryan? Your real name is Bryan, how?” or “Ima keep calling you Toby, Bryan doesn't quite feel right,” they say.
It was always a good laugh until I left for college, that's when I realized I was being referred to differently depending on where I was.
It made me feel a bit unnatural at first, but it never bothered me. That nickname has accompanied me for such a long time that it feels real now.
It's a reminder of where I come from. It made me embrace my identity, and it showed me that courage is needed in order to be authentic.
I don’t care if people like to refer to me by my nickname. I realized that the reason I never cared was because –it's still the same person, the same kid who dreams of exploring the world and its stunning views.
Growing up in a small town had its benefits. I grew up on Ski Way, a neighborhood named for its proximity to Diamond Peak Ski Resort.
The apartment next to me is used as an Airbnb, so neighbors are rare.
I never got into skiing, but I got accustomed to walking everywhere.
Walking across town always felt like a luxury to me, especially lakeshore, which was just down the street from Ski Way.
Having the beach so close has been quite an experience, especially during 4th of July events when the whole town gets packed. It makes everything feel so effortless sometimes. It made me appreciate the little things in life, not to mention it also made me appreciate the nature that was all around me.
Growing up here also made me accustomed to diversity. I come from a Mexican background. My father was able to continue his career in collision repair here, which enabled him to adjust quite well in Incline.
I couldn't tell you why or how my parents ended up here but I'm glad they did.
Being raised in a Spanish speaking household allowed me to grasp a different perspective, and allowed me to become bilingual because of it.
It's a small town where everybody knows everybody, so it was quite hard not being exposed to different backgrounds and cultures. This helped me obtain new insights and perspectives, which triggered the curiosity to go out and explore different cultures from all over the world. It's a town that has made me the person I am today. A town that is never going to make me forget where I came from and a reminder to always remain natural.